Automatic water-regulator.



No. 7|a,549. Patented Dem-23, I902.

A. H. HUTCHINSON. AUTOMATIC WATER REGULATOR.

(Application mod May 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

qwi/hmeaoe/a TH: NoRms vzrzas co. PHDTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D 4:v

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIOK COMPANY, OF WAYNESBORO,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION.

AUTOMATIC WATER-REG U LATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,519, dated December1 Application filed May 13,1901. Serial No. 60,060. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LARTHUR H. HUTcHINsoN,

a citizen of the UnitedrStates, residing at Waynesboro, in the county ofFranklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Water-Regulators, of which the following is aspecification.

My said invention relates to mechanism for the regulation of the flow ofwater from any tank or vessel, by the use of which the water may bemaintained at an even height or level in said vessel, it beingparticularly adapted and designed for use in regulating the flow ofdistilled water from the boil-tank of an ice-making plant, all as Willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof andon which similar parts are indicated by similar reference characters,Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of thoseparts of an ice-making plant in the operation of which this inventionmay be employed; Fig. 2, a similar view of a'slightly-modified form, andFig. 3 a central vertical section through the automaticregulating-valve.

In said drawings, the portions marked 1 represent the boil-tank; 2, theoutlet-pipe; 3, the overflow-pipe; 4l,a cold-watersupply pipe; 5 and 6,filters; 7, a pipe connecting them; 8, a pipe leading from the filter 6to the regulator; 9, said regulator, and a storagetank.

The boil-tank 1 is of the usual or any appropriate form, containing theusual heatingcoil 11.

The outlet-pipe 2 leads from the bottom of tank 1 under the cold-watersupply 4, Where it is formed into a coil, and thence to filter 5, whichis connected to filter 6 by pipe 7, as shown and well understood. Fromsaid filter 6 a pipe 8 leads to the regulator 9.

The pipe 3 extends up within the tank 1 and has slits or openings at thelevel of the skim-holes and leads to the bottom of the casing of theregulator 9. Said regulator 9 consists of a suitable casing withappropriate connections for the discharge-pipes, and con- 50 tains apiston 12, formed with suitable ports arranged to connect with the inletand outlet openings. Said piston 12 is preferably of cylindrical form,as shown, having circumferential depressions forming ports betweencircumferential ribs, and the interior of the casing is correspondinglyformed. Thus when said ribs register, as shown in whole lines in Fig. 3,the ports are closed and the passage of water through the regulatorprevented; but when out of register, as indicated by dotted lines, thensaid ports are open and water permitted to flow through said regulator,as will be presently described. A standard 13 is provided on one side ofthe top of the casing 9, and a lever 14 is pivoted thereto,extendinghorizontally across the top thereof and pivoted to a standard 15,extending up from the top of the piston 12. Said lever extends somedistance beyond the casing, through a bifurcated standard 16 on theopposite side of the casing, and has a weight 17 mounted thereon. Aset-screw 18 is provided to limit and regulate the movement of saidlever.

The operation is as follows: The reboiler 1 receives its supply of waterfrom any source, and the operation of boiling and skimming is or may beaccording to any suitable method. When the water reaches a level in saidreboiler or boil-tank 1 slightly above the lower edge of the skim-holes,it will begin to flow into pipe 3 through the opening therein which ison the same level as said edge of the skimholes and through said pipeinto the lower portion of the casing of regulator 9 under the piston 12.As said pipe fills the pressure of water therein operates to raise saidpiston, which opens the port connecting the pipe 8 with outlet-pipe 19and permits Water from the bottom of the reboiler to flow through 0 pipe2 under cooler 4, through the filters 5 and 6, and through said pipe 8and regulator 9 and out through pipe 19 into the storage-tank 10, fromwhich it is used in any approved manner. At the same time the lower portin 5 the casing is also opened, permitting the water from pipe 3 underthe piston to flow out pipe 20; also into said tank 10. The pipes 2,

8, and 19 and upper ports being of larger area than pipe 3 or itscontrolling ports, as shown me most plainly in Fig. 3, the level ofwater in tank 1 is quickly lowered until below the level of the openinginto pipe 3, when the weight of the piston and weight 17 (which isadjusted to secure just the pressure desired) will soon overcome theweight of the water in said pipe 3 and permit said piston to fall toclose the ports and shut off the outflow from tank 1 through pipe 2.Then it will again rise to the level required to flow into pipe 3, whenthe above-described operation -is repeated, and the operation goes on inthis manner continuously and automatically as long as desired.

In Fig. 2 the apparatus illustrated is the same as that just described,except the piston is operated by the skimmings from tank 1, taken fromthe bottom of skim -dish S through pipe 21, and after passing throughthe regulator runs to waste through a wastepipe 22. By this arrangementa positive operation is secured and the system maintained full of waterat all times, thus preventing air from getting into the water after ithas been freed therefrom in the reboiler and the consequent advantagessecured.

As will be readily understood, the arrangement of the details of theregulator is subject to various modifications without material change inoperation, such as adding weights to the top of piston or depositingthem in a cavity therein or substituting a spring for the weight 17 orreversing the arrangement, all of which may be accomplished withoutdeparting from my said invention. Instead of pipe 3 being smaller thanpipe 8 the same result can be secured by arranging the stroke of thepiston-valve to uncover less of the port controlling the flow from saidpipe 3, as will be readily seen.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A regulator for controlling the flow of liquid from a containingdevice, comprising a single casing, a single piston therein, said pistonand casing containing ports connecting inlet and outlet pipes whichconstitute separate passage-ways for the liquid, one of said inlet-pipesbeing connected at one end with a chamber between the end of said casingand one end of the piston and at its other end with an overflow from thewater-containing device, substantially as set forth.

2. A regulator for controlling the flow of liquid from a receptacle,comprising a casing, a piston-valve therein, apipe leading from anoverflow from said receptacle to between the end of said piston andeasing, an outlet-port being formed in said casing above said point, apipe leading outwardly from said port, a second pipe leading from saidreceptacle and connected to an inlet to said casing at an intermediatepoint, and a discharge-pipe leading from said casing, a port beingformed flow of said reboiler to the inlet-opening at the end of saidcasing, and another pipe leading from said reboiler to the otherinlet-opening, substantially as set forth.

4. In an ice-making plant, the combination, of the reboiler, the systemof pipes leading from the lower portion thereof through the cooler, thefilters and regulator to the storage-tank, another pipe leading from anoverflow of the reboiler to the regulator, and said regulator comprisinga single casing and piston-valve with appropriate ports for connectingthe several inlet and the several outlet openings to said casing whensaid valve is open, substantially as set forth.

5. In anice-making plant, the combination, of the reboiler, the systemof pipes'leading therefrom to the storage-tank, another pipe leadingfrom an overflow of said reboiler, a regulator interposed in said pipesystem comprising a casing having a plurality of inlet and a pluralityof outlet openings, a pistonvalve therein, said casing and valve beingformed with Ways or ports connecting the inlet with the outlet openingswhen the valve is in open position, said overflow-pipe being connectedto discharge into said casing between its end and one end of thepiston-valve, whereby said piston-valve is actuated, and the other pipebeing connected to another inlet-opening at a point between the ends ofsaid piston, the controlling-ports of said overflow-pipe being smallerthan the controllingports of said-other pipe, substantially as setforth.

6. In an ice-making plant, the combination, with the reboiler andstorage-tank, of a system of pipes for conducting the water from one tothe other, and a regulator interposed in said system of pipes forautomatically controlling the flow of Water comprising a casing having aplurality of inlet and a plurality of outlet openings and a piston-valvein said casing, appropriateports being formed through said regulator toconnect said inlet and outlet openings when the valve is open, one pipeof the system leading from an overflow of said reboiler into said casingbetween its end and an end of said piston-valve, to operate it, and theother pipe leading from said reboiler and through an intermediate portor ports in said regulator, substantially as set forth.

7. In an ice-making plant, the combination inlets and outlets when thevalve is open, 10 with the reboiler and storage-tank, of asyssubstantially as set forth. tern of pipes leading from one to theother In witness whereof I have hereunto set my and a regulatorinterposed in said system of hand and seal,at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania,pipes having a casing with a plurality of inthis 7th day of May, A. D.1901.

lets and a plurality of outlets to which said ARTHUR II. HUTGHINSON. [t.s,] pipes are connected, and a piston-valve in Witnesses:

said casing, appropriate ports being formed A. O. FRICK, in said partsof the regulator to connect said W. H. MANNS.

